Hill City lay beyond Demacia's borders. For years, it had served as a transit city for allied peoples outside the frontier, and housing tens of thousands there had never been a problem.
Now the city was filled with allies who had fled the fighting from every direction. At the same time, some tribal allies with fighting strength had joined voluntarily, standing with Demacia against Noxus.
After entering the city, they could see many temporary camps and people in all kinds of different clothing gathered together, talking and laughing in remarkable harmony.
At this point, Jarvan IV had already stabilized most of the chaos beyond the border. The only thing left unrecovered was the Gates of Mourning. If that problem was not dealt with, then the Noxians occupying the Gates of Mourning were like a sword hanging over Demacia's doorstep.
And that was the problem Jarvan IV had no choice but to face right now.
If he could not retake the Gates of Mourning, he was unwilling to withdraw. But under the current circumstances, reclaiming it was hardly something that could be done just by talking about it.
"What's the situation at the Gates of Mourning now?"
Walking along the road, Luke asked the question.
Jarvan IV let out a faint sigh. "That snowstorm gave Noxus a chance to catch its breath. They used the snowfall to reinforce the walls and reorganize their forces. If we try to storm it now, we'll pay too high a price."
When Noxus launched its sudden offensive this time, nobody had expected it. After more than ten quiet years, no one imagined Noxus would suddenly move troops against the Gates of Mourning.
More importantly, they had help from the lawless elements outside the border, or rather, the unrest among those outlaws had been Noxus's doing from the beginning.
For a time, the lands beyond the frontier had become complete chaos. Many allied groups came under attack, and everything was thrown into disorder.
Noxus split off part of its warbands to assist those drifters, bandits, raiders, and tribes.
The rest concentrated on attacking the Gates of Mourning.
Under those conditions, the Gates of Mourning only held for seven days before finally falling.
And it was not until two days later that Demacia's reinforcements arrived, because time had been wasted all along the way fighting those roaming warbands and tribes... but by then, Noxus had already taken the Gates of Mourning.
Jarvan IV quickly gathered his troops and intended to launch a direct assault to take the place back.
But then the snow began to fall. In weather that harsh, the terrain already put Demacia at a disadvantage. If they attacked head-on anyway, they would almost certainly pay a devastating price.
But if they did not attack, they would only give Noxus time to reinforce the breached walls and reorganize the scattered warbands.
In the end, Jarvan IV chose the latter.
After the snow stopped, he sent out mounted scouts to investigate. By now, Noxus had already strengthened the walls, and under those conditions, a direct assault would still cost them dearly.
This time, both timing and terrain had gone Noxus's way.
Jarvan IV felt nothing but frustration.
But he did not want to give up just like that.
"Then I'll drag it out if I have to. As long as I'm here, those Noxian bastards aren't taking one more step forward."
Jarvan IV's gaze was unwavering as he clenched his fist, his whole body seeming to burn with fierce resolve.
He was prepared to hold out for as long as it took. He was determined to erase the disgrace his grandfather had left behind at the Gates of Mourning.
And for the sake of the allies along the border, he could not retreat.
If even he withdrew, Noxus's butcher's knife would only turn on them, and what had happened to groups like the lizardfolk would happen more and more often.
"Then I'll stay here with you," Luke said.
"Now that you've come all this way, I'm not about to send you back right away." Jarvan IV walked shoulder to shoulder with Luke and glanced sideways at him. "But if this drags on with no progress, stay a while longer, then go back first."
"This time both of us brothers ran out to the frontier. I don't even have to think about it to know those ministers are probably losing their minds. I know how stubborn you are, but if this turns into a long grind against Noxus, leave that to me."
His tone was earnest. He clearly did not want Luke staying beyond the border for too long.
Luke naturally understood what he meant.
Just as Minister Roy had said, what sense did it make for both princes to be out on the battlefield?
At least one royal had to remain in the kingdom.
Otherwise, if anything went wrong, the whole nation would fall into chaos.
This had never been a trivial matter.
Jarvan IV thought the same way. No one knew how long this standoff with Noxus might last, and he had already made up his mind to keep it going no matter what.
"There's no rush. Let's just see if we can come up with something first."
Luke nodded.
He definitely intended to return to the capital eventually, but what he had in mind was going back together.
As they talked, the group had already arrived at the military camp. Inside, white-armored soldiers could be seen training without the slightest slackness, even at that moment.
They were prepared for battle at any time.
Just then, two figures stepped forward.
When Luke saw them, he greeted them. "Captain Lev, Garen, long time no see."
The two of them had come out with Jarvan IV as part of this campaign, serving as his deputies and each leading a portion of the troops.
Lev replied, "Long time no see, Your Highness."
"Long time no see," Garen added, then looked at Lux beside Luke and frowned. "Why are you here too?"
Lux looked at him and snorted. "Is that a problem?"
Garen's brow remained furrowed. He let out a sigh and muttered quietly, almost to himself, "There are already more than enough problems out here beyond the border."
Even though his voice was low, every word still reached Miss Crownguard's ears.
She instantly arched a brow in irritation and let out a cold laugh. "I'm here to solve the problems you can't!"
"I'm going back to training."
Garen clearly did not feel like responding to that. After saying a word to Jarvan IV and Luke, he turned and left.
Lux glared at his back, then haughtily looked away.
Luke was long since used to the way those two siblings interacted.
Ever since the bedwetting incident, Lux had been holding a grudge against Garen deep in her heart.
Though honestly, anyone would have been bitter about that.
The group kept moving and arrived at an empty training field. Just then, a huge shadow descended from the sky.
Looking up, they saw a silverwing dragonbird.
Dragonbirds were fierce aerial predators that lived among towering cliffs and possessed considerable strength.
Even so, in rare cases, certain people were able to form close bonds with them and become dragonbird riders.
Dragonbird riders served in Demacia's military, scouting enemy movements and harassing hostile formations.
A dragonbird rider was no less valuable than a soldier of the Dauntless Vanguard, perhaps even rarer.
There simply were not that many dragonbirds.
Now the silverwing slowly descended in front of them, its wings spread to a span of more than twenty feet, stirring up a rush of wind as it landed.
That enormous beast finally came fully into view.
It stood roughly ten to thirteen feet tall. Its feathers looked like a coat of silver armor, dazzling in the sunlight.
Its body was around twenty to twenty-five feet long, massive and imposing, with a beak like an eagle's and intelligent eyes that warned strangers to keep their distance. Everything about it radiated majesty.
Even crouched low to the ground, it gave off a natural pressure that was hard to ignore.
This was a silverwing unique to Demacia. Even those raised alongside humans from a very young age remained difficult to tame because of their instincts as wild creatures.
But once one was truly tamed, it became the most reliable companion on the battlefield and the most feared ace in the skies.
On the back of the silverwing sat a dragonbird rider wrapped head to toe in armor. The plates overlapped like scales, with chainmail beneath, and even her head was completely covered.
She landed and slowly removed her helmet, revealing dark hair and a delicate face.
"Long time no see, Your Highness."
She smiled as she greeted Luke.
"Cithria, long time no see." Luke smiled back at her. "Looks like you and your dragonbird have gotten along pretty well."
"We have." Cithria smiled and reached out to stroke the silverwing's feathers. "We've already been through quite a few battles together."
Some time after joining the Dauntless Vanguard, she had discovered that she had a talent for riding dragonbirds.
Dragonbirds possessed a certain intelligence, and they usually accepted only one rider. So while humans chose them, the creatures were also carefully choosing humans in return.
And fortunate Cithria had been chosen by one. A female dragonbird had descended from the sky, landed beside her, and shown her unusual affection.
That was how Cithria transferred into the dragonbird riders.
With her talent, even controlling a dragonbird was something she could handle well.
Luke really was curious what the view and the feeling must be like, soaring high through the sky on the back of a dragonbird.
But that was as far as the thought went. He was not really the type who loved chasing thrills.
After chatting with Cithria for a while, the group continued on.
As they walked, Jarvan IV remembered something. "Oh, right, brother, a letter for you came in from back home this morning. I'll have it sent over in a bit."
Luke nodded, already guessing who had written it.
Soon after, the group arrived at the quarters Jarvan IV had arranged for them and began settling in. By the time they had mostly finished, the sky had already gone dark.
Another day was nearly over, and after so many days on the road, everyone could finally get some proper rest.
Luke sat by the window, looking out into the night, then took out the letter Jarvan IV had delivered.
When he saw the seal of House Laurent on it, a smile tugged at his lips. He opened it and began to read.
"Luke,
Just like that, nearly half a month has passed.
I admit I still miss you a little.
I've only just made it onto the dueling rankings, and already there are more and more people for me to challenge, and more and more people coming to challenge me. Time feels like it refuses to slow down.
But don't worry. None of them will be my match.
I heard you went beyond the border. If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have returned to High Silvermere. I would've gone with you.
You've always been the kind of person who does whatever comes to mind, reckless and stubborn. But I know that no matter what you do, you always have your reasons.
So come back.
There's more I want to say, but I'd rather tell you in person.
Anyway, protect yourself.
Before the year ends, I'll be returning to the capital.
You don't need to write back. It's too long a journey.
—
Fiora
November 27, 679."
After reading the letter, Luke folded it back up and looked toward the moon hanging outside, wondering if Miss Fiora might also be looking at the same moon at that very moment.
Before he knew it, it was already December.
The year was almost over. The only question was whether he could make it back before the new year.
Demacia had the same idea of celebrating the new year. No matter where you were, once twelve months had passed and a new year arrived, it was something meaningful.
If he wanted to make it back before the year's end, then he had to find some way to deal with the Gates of Mourning.
But with Noxus holding that place so tightly, there did not seem to be any opening to exploit.
A direct assault was definitely not a good option.
If that would not work, then he would have to try something else.
Luke's eyes flickered for a moment. Then he shut the window and lay down on the bed.
He could think about the details tomorrow. Today, he was going to get some real rest first.
High Silvermere.
House Laurent.
In the back garden, Fiora had just finished training and was now sitting on a bench, gazing up at the bright moon.
A cold breeze moved through the courtyard, stirring her short hair. Moonlight spilled across her pale face, making her already beautiful features look almost unreal.
Nearby, Ammdar walked over and looked at her sitting there. "You've got another duel tomorrow. Aren't you going to sleep?"
Fiora shook her head slightly. "I'll sit a little longer."
Ammdar thought for a moment, then said, "Don't you think you've been pushing yourself too hard these past two weeks? You really don't have to work yourself like this. In half a month, you've fought more than twenty duels. I think it'd be better if you rested."
Fiora looked at him and smiled. "This is nothing."
Ammdar continued, "With your strength and talent, you could take things slowly. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Fiora turned her eyes back to the moon. "Because there's no point wasting time."
Ammdar frowned. "But..."
Fiora cut him off. "It's fine. If I'm really tired, I won't need anyone to tell me, I'll rest on my own. But right now, I'm not tired."
"All right."
Ammdar said nothing more.
He really did think his sister had been resting far too little lately. Every day it was either training or dueling.
Her reputation and ranking kept rising, yes, but he was more worried about her exhausting herself.
Other people cared about the family's honor. He cared more about his sister's health.
Fiora had always been strong-willed since she was little, so Ammdar chose to trust her.
"Get some sleep soon."
After saying that, he left without disturbing her further.
Fiora remained there alone, quietly admiring the moon.
She truly was not tired, or rather, she was enjoying this state she was in now, free and unrestrained, no longer under anyone's control.
More importantly, she had a reason to work this hard.
If she did not push herself harder, then someday she might not even be able to see that man's back anymore.
Fiora had always been a fiercely competitive woman. Merely beating him in bed was not enough to satisfy her.
Even though she already knew he was an absurd prodigy, there was still a part of her that refused to lose.
If she could not even see his back, then what right did she have to stand at his side?
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